Comments on: Red Lantern

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:46:11 +0000

If I try to harness the cats, you’ll read about it in my obituary. 😉

By: JuanitaM

JuanitaM — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:20:51 +0000

Hey, as soon as I get them strapped up, ya’ll will be the first to get the photos of my sliding off the Parkway and crashing down Rock Castle gorge.

BTW, I’m still waiting on your cat sled. 🙂

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:20:45 +0000

In reply to JuanitaM.

If I didn’t want to do it, Juanita, I wouldn’t.

I really would hate to see the end of sled dog racing because that would be the end of the breeds. It has almost happened several times with the St. Bernard, as the original source of the breed, a Swiss monastery, has almost been shut down several times, since the need for the dogs has almost disappeared. These are working dogs, and they need to work.

Actually a couple of dogs and a small sled wouldn’t be out of place in the Blue Ridge, or anywhere in the mid to northern Appalachian Range. If you are going to get snow, you need some way of getting around. 😉

By: JuanitaM

JuanitaM — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:54:12 +0000

Once again, thanks for your pulling all this info together every year. I know it’s time consuming, but it’s much appreciated. You always take the time to give such nice detailed answers to what is probably *clueless* questions. But hey, I’m learning. 🙂

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:36:59 +0000

If a total long distance rookie like Wattie McDonald can bring all 16 dogs in a “puppy team” [the dogs are rookies too] to Nome, and Colleen Robertia can bring 14 “runts, rejects, and rescues”, and Sebastian Schnuelle can arrive in 7th place with 13 dogs, there is no reason for all of the dogs being dropped along the trail.

Sebastian sets his pace and keeps to it so the dogs know what they will be asked to do from day to day. There are some who are campaigning for more checkpoints, but Sebastian feels that extra checkpoints would be harder on the dogs, and prefers the much wider spacing on the Yukon Quest. People have a tendency to push the team to make a checkpoint, rather than stopping when it’s time to stop.

The vets were extra cautious this year, hoping to avoid the problems from last year.

By: JuanitaM

JuanitaM — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:01:13 +0000

Every dog will make it home this year. Of all the records broken in 2010, that’s the best one, hands down. I enjoyed this year’s race more than any, and I think that’s part of the reason – none of those heart shattering stories about the loss of a great dog.

Ah well, it’s over for this year.

P.S. Checked out that .pdf doc you mentioned, Bryan. What an attitude.

By: hipparchia

hipparchia — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:09:20 +0000

After last year’s sad losses, there has been more effort in ensuring that rookies are doing effective dog care. i'm really glad to hear this. after reading about last year's race i was convinced that not enough was being done along these lines. one of the many problems is that the flip side of 'happy puppies' means that many dogs are sometimes too willing to go on [and happily too] if their human asks them to. Rookie Celeste Davis (58) of Deer Lodge, Montana got to the burled arch in 13 days, 5 hours, 6 minutes, and 40 seconds. Her finish was the fastest for the last competitor in the Iditarod, and would have been the record for the race prior to 1981. wow! just, wow! .-= last blog ..Run, ntodd, run! =-.